


Faith, Hope, and Love

by Shia_NoBuff



Category: Warrior Nun (TV)
Genre: Ava's kind of a mess, F/F, Femslash, Friendship, Gen, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Single Parent AU, Single Parent Ava Silva, also camilil, but she makes it work, i need more ava and diego, it's also kinda a coffee shop au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-16
Updated: 2020-09-11
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:47:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,022
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25933882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shia_NoBuff/pseuds/Shia_NoBuff
Summary: Rated Teen for language.Between running a coffee shop with her best friend Mary and raising a ten year-old, Ava doesn't really have time to date. But after meeting Diego's teacher, Beatrice, she is instantly smitten. Beatrice is stressed out. Being a failure to her parents isn't an easy job, but taking care of a bunch of fourth-graders might just break her. She's not really looking for a relationship (she's plenty happy helping librarian Camila with her crush) but, after meeting at Open House, she can't seem to get the mom of one of her students out of her mind. Can Ava and Beatrice make things work? Or will life get in the way of their happiness?AKAThe Single Parent/Coffee Shop AU that literally no one asked for but I wanted to write anyway where everyone is gay and Diego is adorable. ;-;
Relationships: Ava Silva & Diego, Ava Silva/J.C. (Past Relationship), Shotgun Mary/Shannon Masters, Sister Beatrice/Ava Silva, Sister Lilith/Sister Camila
Comments: 45
Kudos: 339





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was not beta read, all mistakes are mine.

“Alright, Mary, D and I are headed out!” Ava yelled over her shoulder as she untied her A.M. Coffee apron. Diego bounced on his toes, anxious to leave,

“Bye, Aunt Mary! See you tomorrow!”

Mary turned and gave the two a mock salute,

“Bye guys! Don’t forget to mail out the rent check, Ava.”

Ava groaned as she pushed open the back door and stepped into the parking lot. Owning a business with your best friend was fun in theory, but in reality, it was tiring. It  _ was _ fun, but picking up extra shifts, managing expenses, and caring for a ten year-old made Ava exhausted. She stifled a yawn as she got into her beat-up sedan, turning to make sure Diego was buckled in before starting the drive home,

“Make sure you behave for Mrs. Frances tonight, ‘kay D?” 

“But she’s always mean to me. And to you!” Diego whined, “And she always brings those creepy Jesus statues to our apartment.” Ava gave him her “mom” look in the rearview mirror as she drove,

“I know you don’t like Mrs. Frances, but she was the only person available to watch you while I go to your open house.”

At the mention of the event, Diego bounced in his seat, all thoughts of Mrs. Frances gone, “I can’t wait for you to see what I made you!” Ava chuckled as Diego continued, “Ms. Beatrice told me I did a really good job,”

“I’m sure I’ll love it, buddy.”

Diego continued rambling on about school, and in particular, his teacher. Ava had never met this “Ms. Beatrice”, but she seemed to have done wonders for her son in a short amount of time. Not only had Diego never been excited to learn before (a change Ava was  _ very _ happy to see), but he adored his teacher. He was always telling her something cool about the woman ( _ “did you know she does Aikido, mom?” _ ), or something fun they had done in class (“ _ -and then she taught us how to use a compass to navigate. A real one, not like an app!” _ ). Ava was looking forward to finally getting to meet her tonight.

She pulled into her parking space at their apartment complex a short time later, still listening to Diego --  _ “she’s totally a ninja, mom! She can use shurikens,” _ \-- as she got out of the car and opened his door.

“You can tell Mrs. Frances all about school tonight, Diego,” Ava ushered him out of the car and up the stairs, “but I have to get ready to go, okay?” she pushed open the door to their apartment.

Ava flipped on the lights and set down her bag on the kitchen table. Diego sat and took out his homework and Ava ruffled his hair as she walked to her bedroom to change. She sighed as she opened her closet to look for something to wear.  _ Fancy, but not too fancy. And still comfy. _ After much deliberation, Ava decided to wear a cardigan and the jeans she had worn to work. The top had been a gift from J.C., and she had almost thrown it out, but Mary, Ava thanked whatever was out there for her, had convinced her to keep it. 

“What’s for dinner tonight?” Diego didn’t look up from his work as Ava stepped back into the kitchen. Their table was a mess of papers, pencils, and crayons as he furiously scribbled.

“Croissant sandwiches from the shop,” she held up two paper bags.

“Again? That’s like the third time this week!” Diego complained,

“Sorry, D,” Ava ran a hand through her hair, “but it’s been super busy. I’ll make it up to you on Saturday, promise.”

“Fine,” Diego stuck his tongue out at Ava. She scrunched up her face and stuck her tongue out back at him as she put his sandwich into the toaster oven to reheat. When the toaster beeped, Ava got out a plate and carefully put the sandwich on it, hissing in slight annoyance as she burned her fingers. She went to place it in front of Diego just as the doorbell rang. 

“I’ll get it!” Diego jumped up and ran to the door and Ava took out her phone to check the time.

_ 5:45. Shit _ . She put her phone back in her pocket and went to greet Mrs. Frances.

“You poor thing, you look so harried. No wonder you don’t have a husband,” Mrs. Frances said by way of greeting.

“Nice to see you too, Mrs. Frances,” Ava muttered under her breath. Putting on a smile as fake as Mrs. Frances’ two front teeth, Ava spoke in a saccharine voice, “thanks so much for agreeing to watch Diego tonight. I really appreciate it,”

“Of course!” Ava internally cringed at her neighbor’s voice, “it’s my pleasure to watch this little thing.” 

“Alright, I should be home no later than nine,” Ava picked up her purse as Mrs. Frances walked inside. “Be good,” she said to Diego, who made a face at her behind Mrs. Frances’ back, “I mean it, D.”

Ava went to her car as quickly as she could. Barely watching for pedestrians, she pulled onto the road.  _ Shit, shit, shit, _ she was  _ maybe _ going to make it to Diego’s open house on time, probably not if she was being honest.  _ What a great way to make a first impression on his teacher _ , she thought to herself,  _ she’s gonna think I’m  _ sooo _ responsible. _

~~~~

To say Beatrice was nervous about open house was an understatement. She anxiously paced in front of her desk as Camila poked her head in.

“Everything okay, Bea?”

Beatrice gave the librarian a tight smile,

“Yes, just a bit nervous. Meeting the new parents is always a challenge.”

Camila nodded sympathetically as she stepped into Beatrice’s classroom. She gently placed a hand on her friend’s shoulder,

“I’m sure they’ll love you, Bea,” Camila smiled, feeling the tiniest bit of tension leave Beatrice, “I have some nettle tea in my office if you want. I find it always helps calm me down”

Beatrice gave Camila a wry smile, “I think I need something a bit stronger than nettle tea, but thanks for the offer.”

Camila smiled back as she began walking towards the door,

“Good luck, Bea!”

“I’m gonna need it,” Beatrice said quietly to herself. She walked around her classroom, adjusting things here and there, making sure everything was as perfect as possible. She went back to the front of her room and unceremoniously plopped down in her chair. It was going to be a long night.

~~~~

Ava thanked whatever god might be out there as she pulled into Areala Elementary’s parking lot and found an empty parking space close to the entrance. She looked at the time and silently swore. 6:02. She was officially late. Thankfully, she remembered where Diego’s classroom was from walking him there on the first day of school. Running at a speed she didn’t think possible, Ava rushed to the classroom. Taking a moment to compose herself, she opened the door as quietly as she could.

Heads turned towards her as she stepped into the classroom. Silence fell over the room and Ava made eye contact with the woman at the front of the room.

_ Shit, _ she thought to herself,  _ she probably hates me _ . The woman gave Ava a slight smirk before clearing her throat and continuing her speech. Ava looked a little closer at Beatrice and felt her mouth go dry.

_ Fuck. She’s hot, too. _


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beatrice is a family disappointment. Ava and Beatrice are gay messes. So is Camila. Mary is just along for the ride.

“So this week, we’ve been learning a bit about expl--” Beatrice paused as the door to her room opened. Heads turned as she made eye contact with a woman about her age. She was...objectively attractive, with her brown hair in a messy, yet still pretty, bun, Bea decided before remembering where she was. She quickly cleared her throat as she felt heat creep up her neck,

“As I was saying,” She continued her talk, the practiced words falling easily out of her mouth even as her head became a mess of tangled thoughts.  _ Get it together, Beatrice. Camila’s never going to let you hear the end of it, _ one part of her brain insisted. The other part, the one that Beatrice normally tried not to listen to, kept butting in.  _ Okay, but she’s so pretty though. _ Bea mentally slapped herself and tried to act as though she wasn’t having an argument with herself in front of these strangers.  _ Great. Just great. _

After she had finished (thankfully no one seemed to notice that anything was wrong), the parents started to move around the room, looking at various things their children had done in the past weeks. Beatrice tried not to drum her fingers on her desk as she people-watched. Open House hadn’t been this nerve-wracking last year. Of course, last year her parents hadn’t figured out yet that their daughter had become a teacher, and an elementary school teacher at that. She shuddered remembering the conversation they had had a few months ago, the words still fresh in her mind,

_ “Not even a professor, Bea? A teacher?”  _ Her mom had been indignant,

_ “We spent all that money on your education and what?” _ Her father had straight up yelled, no longer trying to be civil. She had never seen him so angry and she shrunk into herself like a little kid.

_ “What are we supposed to tell your Gunggung and Popo, what are we supposed to tell our friends? You know, Mrs. Chee’s daughter just completed her first year of med school, Mrs. Chung’s son got a job as a professional violinist, and our daughter became an elementary school teacher. Everyone had such high hopes for you.  _ We  _ had such high hopes for you. And what did you become?” _ Her father had shaken his head and thrown up his hands,  _ “A disappointment. Such a disappointment” _

No matter how hard Beatrice had tried to explain to her parents how important her job was, not to mention how important it was to  _ her _ , they simply hadn’t been interested in hearing it.

_ “At least she’s not gay, Bernard.” _ If only they knew.

Beatrice was pulled out of her thoughts by a tap on her shoulder. She looked up to see the woman who had showed up late to her presentation,

“Can I help you?” Beatrice internally cringed at her cold tone,

“Um, sorry to bother you,” the other woman sounded hesitant and Beatrice cursed to herself. It was her, the one that had caused Bea’s earlier internal struggle. The woman continued with an apologetic smile, “but I just wanted to apologize for interrupting you earlier.”

Beatrice put on what she hoped was a warm smile,

“It’s no big deal, you have no idea the interruptions fourth graders cause on a daily basis,”  _ Dammit Bea, her kid’s a fourth grader. _

Luckily, the woman laughed and held out a hand,

“I’m Ava, by the way. Um, Diego’s mom.”

Beatrice took her hand and shook it. So this was Diego’s mother. The way he talked about Ava made it clear she was his hero.

“Beatrice,” she shook Ava’s hand, “Your son is a pleasure to have in class.”

“Thanks to you,” Ava awkwardly put her hand down, “he’s always gushing about how cool “Ms. Beatrice” is, and I can see why,”

Beatrice blushed.  _ God have mercy _ , she thought. Not even five minutes in and she was already  _ blushing _ around one of the parents.  _ Parents who she was supposed to have a  _ professional _ relationship with, _ she chastised herself. Bea carefully swallowed and gave Ava a measured smile,

“I’m glad Diego is enjoying my class.” She looked around, anxious for an out, and found a couple trying to wave her over. Relaxing her shoulders a bit, she turned back to Ava, “It was nice meeting you, Ava. If you’ll excuse me, I see some parents over there who look like they have questions.” 

She hit herself mentally again as she walked away from Ava. Why did the parents, correction: Ava, have to be so darn attractive?

~~~~

“Hey mom!” Ava jumped at Diego’s voice as she opened the door to his room. She had just dismissed Mrs. Frances for the night ( _“Little boys really benefit from having a father figure in their lives you know”_ _“_ Goodnight _Mrs. Frances”_ ) and had come to check on Diego, assuming he was asleep.

“What are you doing up, Buddy?” she checked her watch. It was already 8:50. “You were supposed to be asleep almost an hour ago,”

He sat up in his bed, his Spider-Man blanket pooled around him,

“I wanted to wait for you, so you could tuck me in!”

Ava chuckled lightly and kissed Diego’s forehead, motioning for him to lie down. After pulling his blanket up to his chin, she ran a hand through his hair,

“Alright D, but it’s time for bed now”

“Love you,” Diego mumbled sleepily as she turned to leave his room,

“I love you too,” Ava whispered as she closed his door.

Ava went to the kitchen, where a black notebook and a pile of white envelopes reminded her there were bills to be paid. She groaned, taking her hair out of its loose bun and running a hand through it. Pen in hand, Ava sat down and began looking over the month’s finances. After crunching the numbers (and double checking them), she breathed a sigh of relief. There was enough to pay rent for both her apartment and the shop that month, and pay all the employees as well. Mary would be pleased.

As she lay in bed that night inspecting the papier-mache portrait of her Diego had made, Ava thought about the open house. It had been better than the previous years she had attended: she actually seemed to get along with this teacher. Beatrice had been nice and seemed to genuinely like being a teacher. Ava couldn’t imagine taking care of that many kids every day -- she could barely manage Diego. And Beatrice had this confidence about her. She could command a room without even trying. Her eyes just saw right through you, and her lips. _Fuck. Think of something else. Don’t think about how your kid’s teacher is hot._ _Shit._ Ava squeezed her eyes shut. It was going to be a long night.

~~~~

“There’s nothing wrong with being attracted to D’s teacher,” Mary told Ava the next day as she loaded the dishwasher. The morning rush had finished so the two had a little time to talk. “Shit, God knows it’s been a while since you got some, if you know what I mean,” she winked as Ava groaned,

“Mary!” Mary threw her hands up in mock defeat,

“Sorry. You know I’m right though,”

“Look,” Ava stopped the dishes to focus on Mary, “even if I did want to ask her out -- which I don’t by the way -- I don’t have time. Between work and Diego, I’m lucky if I get fucking half an hour to myself. Plus, faculty-parent relationships are highly looked down on,”

“I’m just saying, she sounds like a step up from J.C.,” they turned back to their work,

“Anyone would be from that bitch,” Ava grumbled under her breath.

~~~~

“So, how did it go last night?” Camila asked Beatrice, a steaming mug of tea in her hand. Beatrice exhaled deeply and put her face in her palms,

“Fine, I guess. It’s just not the same since, you know.” Camila nodded sympathetically. The “incident” had put quite a damper on her friend’s confidence. Beatrice noticed Camila’s silence and looked up, smirking as she realized what, or who, had occupied Camila’s attention.

“You should ask her out, Camila.”

“What?!” Camila jumped a little, shaken out of her thoughts. Beatrice gestured towards the woman Camila had been staring at. 

“The P.E. teacher. I think she likes you.” 

The woman, Lilith, was drinking her coffee, casually talking with some of the other teachers. It hadn’t taken much time for Bea to notice how the two looked at each other when they thought the other wasn’t looking.

“Don’t be silly Bea,” Camila’s voice lilted up a bit too much to be inconspicuous, “I don’t even...she’s just a friend,”

“If you say so,” Beatrice winked conspiratorially. 

“What about you? How’s your love life? Got your eye on anyone?” Camila was desperate to change the subject. Beatrice reddened and coughed, picturing Ava’s face against her will. She willed her brain to think of something, anything, else. _Family disappointment. Christopher Columbus. How soft Ava’s lips looked last night._ _Shoot_. Beatrice tried to school her expression, which didn’t escape Camila’s notice. Her eyes sparkled and she leaned in closer,

“Ooh, who is it? Do I know him?”

Beatrice sputtered a bit before putting on a smile that hopefully wouldn’t seem too forced,

“No, I don’t think you would.”  _ You definitely wouldn’t know her. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Asian parents are...a lot. Also, teachers are under-appreciated ("you can be anything you want...except a teacher" -my mom (who was a teacher) since I was five). Thanks for reading and feedback is always welcome! :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adriel’s a bitch. Beatrice and Ava *sort of* have a proper conversation. Camila can’t function around Lilith.

“Ava, did you see Adriel’s email?” Mary angrily waved her phone in Ava’s face. Ava shrugged off her jacket, thankful to be out of the chilly autumn air,

“Um, no? Sorry, I’ve been really busy helping Diego out with this science project thingy,”

“I’m building a rocket!” Diego beamed, “I can’t wait to show it to you, Aunt Mary!”

Mary chuckled. Diego always found a way to improve her mood,

“I’m sure I’ll love it, kid.”

“Why don’t you go sit in the office and read your book, okay D?” Ava gently pushed Diego towards an open door. Bringing her son to work with her on a Saturday wasn’t ideal, in fact it made her feel terrible for not spending time with him, but she didn’t really have other options. When Diego was out of earshot, Ava turned back to Mary,

“You seem really upset about that email. What did that jackass do this time?”

Mary sighed and massaged a temple, and Ava could see a couple veins popping out,

“Adriel’s raising the rent starting next month.”

“What the fuck?”Ava’s mouth hung open. She couldn’t believe this. “That’s like the second time this year!” She was barely getting by as it was. How was she going to make things work now? “Shit. I promised to buy Diego a costume for Halloween, and his birthday’s coming up, and Christmas--” she paused her rambling and gave Mary a concerned look,

“Are you two gonna be okay?”

“Yeah,” Mary blew air through her lips, “Shannon’s up for a promotion so we should be good. But you and Die--”

“I’ll figure it out,” Ava cut her off, reaching for her apron. She forced a smile on her face (that probably came across as a grimace) “don’t worry about us.”

“If you say so,” Mary spoke after a long pause, turning to go back to the main part of the store.

“You missed the early-birds, you lazy ass,” she joked, “time to earn your keep with the morning rush.”

Ava eyed the steady stream of customers coming into their store.  _ At least business is good _ , she thought as she washed her hands, preparing for a hectic shift.

~~~~

“Camila, why are we going to that coffee shop again?” The morning light shone through the windows of Beatrice’s apartment as she looked into the street, phone up to her ear. “You make your own nettle tea every morning and I try not to drink caffeine on weekends.”

“C’mon, Bea, live a little!” Camila’s voice was a bit too chipper for this hour, “Let’s change things up, be a little rebellious!”

Beatrice audibly groaned and Camila sighed,

“If you really don’t want caffeine, the cocoa’s really good.” Camila wasn’t even here to show Bea her puppy dog eyes, but she could hear it in her voice. There was no way she, or anyone really, could say “no” to Camila,

“Fine, I’ll go with you,”

“Yay!” Beatrice could hear Camila clapping her hands in the background, “I’ll see you there in ten.”

Beatrice hung up and gathered her things. Luckily, she only lived about a five minute walk from the building A.M. Coffee was in. She had been once or twice (she really should’ve supported local businesses more), and she’d enjoyed it, but she didn’t understand Camila’s eagerness to go. It was just coffee, though she had to admit, it was  _ good _ coffee.

The crisp air of early October tingled Beatrice’s face as she stepped out onto the sidewalk. As she walked, she thought about the up-coming parent-teacher conferences. It had been a while since Open House, and Bea could happily say that her students had made progress, but it still made her nervous. Especially meeting with Ava.  _ Or would it be more appropriate to call her Ms. Silva? _ She had spotted Ava pick up Diego a few times, but hadn’t had a chance to talk to her again. Even so, despite their very short interaction at Open House, Beatrice hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her. She knew it probably (definitely) wasn’t healthy to think about Ava this much, but even Beatrice’s usual tricks didn’t seem to stem the flow of thoughts about her.

Camila vigorously waved at Beatrice as she approached. Beatrice’s watch said that she was still two minutes early, but she wasn’t surprised Camila had gotten there before her.

“Thanks for agreeing to meet with me!” Camila pulled Beatrice into a tight hug and Beatrice momentarily froze. She still wasn’t used to hugs, her family wasn’t the affectionate type, and she didn’t always know what to do. She awkwardly patted the smaller woman on the back before stepping back.

Beatrice eyed the menu as she opened the door to the shop and stepped inside,

“I hope you weren’t lying about the hot chocolate,” she fake-glared at Camila, who giggled,

“You’ll love it, I promise.”

The two chatted idly while they waited in a fairly substantial line. Pop music and laughter swirled with the rich aroma of coffee as they slowly moved up. Somehow, the topic of conversation landed on parent-teacher conferences.

“I hope none of the parents are mean this year,” Camila looked sympathetically at Beatrice. She was referring to last year, when Mrs. Comstock had blamed Beatrice for her son Kevin’s failing grades. Beatrice had given him F’s on all of his homework assignments, mostly because she could tell Kevin’s homework hadn’t been done by him. The verbal lashing she had received still occasionally marked her nightmares.

“They all seem nice so far,” Beatrice shrugged. The barista called for the next person in line, and Bea stepped up, still turned towards Camila,

“One parent in particular, A--” Bea widened her eyes as she turned towards the counter, and her voice went up by almost an octave, “A-Ava, hi! I didn’t, I didn’t know you worked here!”  _ What is she doing here? Working, obviously, but why? _

Beatrice’s internal monologue was cut off and her brain short-circuited when Ava smiled brightly at her,

“I’m the ‘A’ in A.M. Coffee. It’s a pun, ‘cause I own it with my friend Mary. And people usually drink coffee in the morning,” Ava gave her a sheepish look, “sorry, I’m rambling. Come here often?” Ava winked and Beatrice forgot how to speak,

“Not that often, actually,” she said once she found her words. Beatrice mentally smacked herself.  _ Real smooth Bea, real smooth. _ “My friend Camila recommended I try this place. She said it was good,” she tried to cover for herself, motioning behind her to where Camila was waiting patiently. Ava chuckled,

“Your friend has good taste. What can I get for you?”

“Um, one large hot chocolate please. With whipped cream.”

“Gotcha,” Ava started writing on a cup, “I’ll have that right out for you,”

“How much do I owe you?” Ava looked up, surprised,

“It’s on the house,” she gave Beatrice another smile and held up a hand to silence her protests, “you’ve been doing wonders for D. The least I can do to show you my thanks is to give you a free cocoa.”

“Thanks, “  _ Really? Thanks? That was so awkward! _ Beatrice managed a small smile, leaving a ten dollar bill in the tip jar when Ava had turned her back.

“I’m gonna get us a table,” she said to Camila as she walked away from the counter, “it’s pretty busy in here.”

~~~~

“Mary!” Ava whispered through her teeth as she went to make Beatrice’s order. One of their employees had taken over the register for the time being, “she’s here.”

“Who’s here?” Mary didn’t look up from the bagel she was heating,

“D’s teacher!” 

Mary quickly turned around, scanning the shop, 

“Where?” Ava quickly turned her around,

“Not so loud! Over there,” she subtly motioned to where Beatrice was sitting on her phone. Mary carefully turned to look,

“Damn, Silva. She’s real good looking.” 

Ava slapped her,

“You have a girlfriend, Mary,”

“I’m loyal, not blind,” Mary retorted. “Is that why Kayley is currently manning the register? So you can stare at D’s teacher?”

“What? No!” Ava’s response was a little too quick and Mary raised an eyebrow,

“Whatever you say, Ava. Whatever you say.”

Ava glared at Mary as she turned back to her work. She wanted to make this the best hot chocolate she’d ever made. To show Beatrice her appreciation, of course. Not to impress her, or anything.  _ Fuck. Keep it together, Ava. It’s just a show of gratitude, nothing more _ . Her heart knew that was probably a lie, but she ignored it. Nope. Ava had absolutely  _ no _ ulterior motives to make her son’s ridiculously cute (and exceedingly competent and empathetic and compassionate (or so she’d heard from Diego, those definitely weren’t her own opinions)) teacher a drink. 

~~~~

“You never really told me why you wanted to come here,” Beatrice nursed her hot chocolate. She had to admit, it was almost ridiculously good. She followed Camila’s gaze as the door opened and Lilith walked inside,

“Bea, stop staring! She might look this way!” Camila squeaked, attempting to lower herself in her chair.

“Never mind, question withdrawn. So,” Bea waggled her eyebrows, “here to stalk Lilith?”

“It’s not...It’s not stalking, Bea!” Bea struggled not to laugh as Camila’s cheeks went crimson, “I wanted to have a drink with you. So what if I happened to know Lilith would be here?”

Beatrice stared at her friend,

“You literally know her schedule. That sounds kind of stalkerish to me, Camila.”

As Camila stammered, Bea turned to watch Lilith out of the corner of her eye. The line had died down and Ava was taking orders again. Ava smiled warmly at Lilith, clearly familiar with her, but Lilith seemed impervious to Ava’s charm. She saw Lilith start to turn their way and quickly looked back to Camila.

“Fine. Say you actually wanted to hang out with me--”

“I do!” Camila interjected, “you’re one of the nicest people I know, Bea. I wish we hung out more often,”

“Mhm,” Beatrice nodded, not entirely paying attention to Camila as she watched Ava prepare Lilith’s order. She moved with such grace and confidence, like she had made the same thing thousands of times. Okay, she probably had, but still. Noticing Camila’s voice trail off, she focused back on the conversation,

“Thanks Camila. I’m glad we’re hanging out today.”

They sipped their drinks in companionable silence for a bit before Camila choked slightly on hers, her face losing some of its color,

“Camila, are you okay?” Camila only gave a weak nod, gesturing behind Beatrice. She turned and looked up,

“Oh, hey Lilith. How are you?” Lilith’s smile was a little frightening, if Beatrice was being honest, which might have been because of how much she towered over Bea.

“I’m fine, thanks. Do you need help Camila?” Ouch. Lilith walked over to Camila almost as if Bea wasn’t there. Camila went into shock for a second, quickly recovering when Bea kicked her under the table,

“I’m good, thank you for the offer, though,” Camila’s voice was strained, something only Beatrice could notice. She was pretty sure she was the only one who noticed Lilith’s face fall slightly as well.

“Well, it was nice seeing you two,” Lilith said more to Camila than Beatrice, “See you at work on Monday.”

Camila slumped in her chair as they watched Lilith leavem

“I totally made a fool out of myself,” she moaned. Beatrice tentatively patted her shoulder, wincing to herself as she thought of her interaction with Ava,

“Don’t worry,” she said, whether to Camila or herself she wasn’t sure, “I’m sure she didn’t notice.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> very little Diego in this chapter, but I promise the next chapter will have a lot more of him. Hopefully I will be able to continue updating with *some* regularity. Please feel free to give constructive feedback! Thanks for reading and stay safe everyone!!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Diego’s being bullied and Ava is determined to stop it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No Avatrice or Camilil in the chapter. All mistakes are mine.

“Hey buddy, how did your project go?” Ava eyed Diego through the rearview mirror as they began the drive home. He had been practically bursting with excitement about his rocket that morning.

“It was okay, I guess,” Diego’s voice was barely above a whisper, and his shoulders were hunched. Warning lights went off in Ava’s head. Her son was always so chipper, even in less than ideal situations.

“Just okay?” She probed cautiously. When Diego didn’t respond, Ava tried a different question, “did Ms. Beatrice not like it?”

“She did,” Diego’s tiny body curled in on itself even more. Something was definitely the matter. 

“So how come you look so down, D? Do you feel alright?” It was possible he had come down with something that was causing him to act this way, Ava reasoned.

“I don’t wanna talk about it, okay?” Diego snapped. His eyes widened and he immediately shut his mouth.

Other parents might have yelled at their kid for that response, but Ava was not other parents. This was so out of character for Diego and instead of being mad, Ava just became more concerned. A heavy silence filled the air the rest of the ride home and continued into their apartment. As soon as they got inside, Diego rushed into his room, slamming the door behind him. 

Ava sighed and ran a hand through her hair. She was determined to get to the bottom of this. Thinking back on what Diego had said about school in the past few weeks, Ava couldn’t remember him saying a single negative thing. In fact, he’d seemed more energetic and positive than usual. Ava’s phone pinged and she grumbled a bit to herself as she fished it out of her pocket. She grumbled more when she saw the message.

**_Hail Mary_** _:_ _Hey, I know this is really last minute, but can u come to the shop rn and close up tonight?_

**_AVArycoolmom_ ** _ : this better be good _

**_Hail Mary_ ** _ : Shannon’s parents showed up unannounced and we are apparently “required” to have dinner with them -_- _

**_AVArycoolmom_ ** _ : u owe me >:( _

**_AVArycoolmom_** _:_ _so does shannon_

**_Hail Mary_ ** _ : Is that a yes? _

**_AVArycoolmom_ ** _ : .... _

**_AVArycoolmom_ ** _ : Fine. _

**_Hail Mary_ ** _ : Thx. Ur getting the better end of this deal _

**_Hail Mary_ ** _ : trust me _

Ava blew out a heavy breath and rubbed her eyes with the heels of her palms.  _ It was actually a good day earlier _ , she couldn’t help thinking. Of course, it seemed like Diego and Mary were having worse days than her, but she could complain too. Deep in thought, Ava didn’t notice Diego’s door open.

“Mom?” His voice quivered and Ava’s heart broke.

“Yeah, baby?” She rarely called him “baby” anymore ( _ “I’m not a baby! Don’t call me that!” _ ), but old habits die hard.

“I’m sorry,” he played with the sleeve of his jacket and looked down at his feet, “for yelling at you in the car.”

Ava enveloped Diego in a tight hug, and she felt her shirt grow wet with his tears,

“It’s alright, D,” She knelt down and placed her hands on his shoulders. Diego sniffled and looked up at her, “we all have bad days sometimes. But,” Ava hardened her voice just a smidge, “we should talk about feelings with the people we love instead of letting them explode out all at once, okay?”

Diego nodded and Ava pulled him in for another hug. She let him stay like that for a while, savoring the feeling of his small arms wrapped around her and his head pressed against her torso. Ava knew moments like these would become fewer and fewer as Diego grew older. She still didn’t know what had been bothering her son, but that could wait for another day.

When Diego finally pulled away, Ava told him the bad news,

“Aunt Mary had something come up tonight, so we have to go down to the shop.”

Diego frowned slightly, but didn’t complain. Instead, he started towards his room, speaking over his shoulder,

“I’ll go pack a bag.”

Ava smiled at his receding form and went to gather her own things, which, luckily, she hadn’t really had the chance to unpack yet. She had the best kid.

~~~~

Ava began more closely monitoring Diego’s behavior after he lashed out at her. He started coming up with reasons not to go to school, even going as far as to fake a fever, and she had begun to notice things go missing from his backpack.

“What happened to those Flash pencils I got you, D?” She asked when she saw him doing his homework with plain orange ones,

“Must’ve lost them,” Diego mumbled half-heartedly. Ava knew Diego wouldn’t lose them, they had been one of the only supplies he’d asked for and were one of his favorite possessions. She dropped the subject after gently admonishing him for being careless. 

“I think Diego has a bully, Mary,” Ava whispered as Diego dozed on the couch of their office, grey early morning light just beginning to filter through the blinds,

“Shit. Really? He’s such a great kid,” Mary whispered back, holding open the door and motioning for Ava to step out,

“I don’t know what to do. I can’t just straight up ask, ‘are you being bullied?’, y’know?” They began preparing for the day, making sure everything was clean and in its place.

“Why don’t you try bringing it up subtly?” Mary suggested while wiping down a table, “ask him if he’s feeling left out or something,”

“Yeah,” Ava nodded noncommittally, “Maybe I’ll try that.”

~~~~

Ava was ready to fling subtlety out the window when she picked up Diego that day. One look at D’s tear-streaked face and all Ava could think about was smiting whoever had done that to her son. After taking a deep breath, Ava composed herself.  _ Be subtle, be subtle _ , she chanted in her head.

“Hey buddy, I noticed you seem down lately,” her heart broke as he sniffled and wiped his nose with his sleeve, “is someone bothering you at school?”

Okay, so that hadn’t been the most subtle thing in the world, but ten year-olds didn’t really understand subtlety, right? Diego’s lip trembled and Ava fought back the urge to pull over and immediately envelop him in a hug,

“There’s a boy in my class,” his voice quivered as he rubbed his eyes, “he sits next to me in class, and he, he calls me names and stuff,”

“Can you be a little more specific?” Ava gently pressed, not wanting to upset Diego any more than he already was.

“He said I was stupid because sometimes I have a hard time with spelling. And he told me my rocket was dumb. And, and, and he called Trevor a turd. And he called me a bastard. What does that mean mom?”

“Oh, baby,” Ava was angry. Her mama bear instincts were kicking in. There was no way in hell she was gonna let this punk get away with bullying her son and his friend. And to bring up Diego’s parentage. She had a feeling she wouldn’t like this kid’s parents.

“What about your pencils?”

“He took them.”

“What’s this boy’s name?” Ava tried to control her voice,

“Carson,” Diego mumbled. Ava took a steadying breath. Diego’s crying had quieted, and she tried to concentrate on the road,

“Have you talked to Ms. Beatrice about Carson, buddy?” she was definitely going to bring this up at her Parent-Teacher conference next week. 

“No, Carson made me promise not to,” Diego pulled his knees up to his chest, “besides, most of it happens at recess.” 

When they got to their apartment, Ava pulled Diego into a hug. He held onto her tightly and she carried him over the couch,

“Hey, look at me, D,” she said as gently as possible. She took Diego’s hands and looked straight into his eyes,

“You are not stupid, okay? You work harder than anyone I know, and I can tell it’s paid off because that rocket was freaking awesome,” Diego managed a small smile,

“It was?” He sounded so unsure, and Ava’s resolve hardened,

“Heck yeah it was,” she said. He smiled a bit more at her words.

“It doesn’t matter what Carson, or any other bully, thinks about you or your friends, okay? I know it’s hard, but what matters is what the people who care about you think. Like Aunt Mary, and I promise she thinks you’re pretty great,” she gently poked him in the ribs and he giggled.

“Thanks for telling me, D. That was really brave of you,” she put her arm around Diego and he snuggled close to her, “What do you think about watching some TV together before you do your homework?”

“Really?” Ava smiled as Diego’s face lit up,

“Yes, really,” she replied, fishing for the remote. Ava settled into the couch as she turned on some kids program, not really watching. Her mind swirled with thoughts. She was going to fix this, and she was going to make Beatrice help her.

In the words of someone she used to know: “make your problem, their problem.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Classes have officially started, oof. Constructive is welcome. Thanks for reading!!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ava and Beatrice have their parent teacher conference. Ava worries about Diego and rent payments. Beatrice is a mess.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, another chapter. All mistakes are mine!

“Mom, do I have to go to school today?” Diego gave Ava a pleading look from the backseat as she turned to look at him,

“Hey,” she smiled at him, “remember what I told you: it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks of you, okay? Besides, I have a conference with your teacher later today.”

“Fine,” Diego huffed, “bye mom,”

“I love you!” Ava rolled down the passenger window and yelled to him as he got out of the car. 

To say she was nervous about the conference was an understatement. But it wasn’t Diego’s performance in school or even his bully that made her stomach twist in knots: it was Beatrice. Ava hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her since the morning at the shop. A relationship between them was impossible, but it didn’t stop the attraction she felt towards Diego’s teacher. 

The fact that Beatrice was D’s teacher was only the first obstacle. There was also the fact that Ava worked six days a week and had to raise her son and take care of their apartment. And even if all those things didn’t exist, Ava didn’t even know if Beatrice was into women, or if she’d like Ava.

Despite this, Ava couldn’t help her thoughts about Beatrice. When they met they would be totally alone.  _ Together _ . Ava drummed her fingers on the steering wheel as she pulled into the parking lot behind the shop. It was going to be a long couple of hours.

“You’re back!” Mary grinned as Ava walked behind the counter. She continued making a latte, waggling her eyebrows at Ava, “Excited for your parent-teacher conference today?”

Ava groaned as she put on her apron,

“No, not at all.”

Ava got behind the register and started serving a steady stream of customers. She was so accustomed to this that she could still have Beatrice on her mind as she filled orders. This would be different from all of the previous conferences she had been to, most of Diego’s previous teachers had had some rather  _ interesting _ things to say about her son, but he had been doing well in his classes. And Beatrice genuinely seemed to like him. Maybe it was because she was so much younger than a lot of D’s old teachers, but Ava liked her enthusiasm and love for her job.

Before she knew it, it was time for her to leave. Ava made a split second decision and began preparing a hot chocolate. Beatrice had liked it last time, and Ava wanted to bring her something to brighten her day. The shop wasn’t busy anyway, so it wasn’t like she was sacrificing her work performance.

The only patrons were a couple of elderly regulars, who Ava waved to as she walked to the back, hot chocolate in hand. She sighed as she thought about rent going up next month. At least pumpkin spice lattes would still be in season. Still, Ava wasn’t sure how she and Mary were going to keep the shop profiting. The only choices the two of them had come up with so far were buying cheaper products or raising prices, neither of which was a pleasant idea. She couldn’t believe Adriel was raising the rent  _ again. _ He knew Ava was a single mother, he knew that they were barely getting by and he was still raising rent. What an asshole. She quickly changed clothes into something nicer headed out onto the road.

She pulled into the parking lot a few minutes early, determined not to have a repeat of open house. It was easy enough to find the conference room where the parent-teacher conferences were being held (there were signs pointing the way). There was still another family in there with Beatrice, so Ava took a seat in one of the plastic chairs lined up in the hallway. There were a couple other parents lined up in front of other rooms and Ava smiled at them if they made eye contact with her. She tried not to feel too uncomfortable: all of them were at least five years older than her.

Finally, a middle-aged couple Ava recognized opened the door and began walking away, the husband giving Ava a smile and nod. Beatrice held the door open and smiled,

“Ava, a pleasure to see you as always,” she stuck out a hand, before realizing Ava’s were full, and rescinded it awkwardly.

“You too,” Ava smiled. She took the hot chocolate and held it out to Beatrice, “This is for you, since you seemed to enjoy it last time,”  _ Shit, _ that sounded stalkerish, “Not that I was, like, watching you or anything,” she quickly tried to cover up.

“Thanks!” Beatrice’s smile was sincere, “I really needed this today. Would you like to come in?”

“Of course,” Ava entered the small conference room and sat down, feeling unnecessarily nervous as Beatrice sat across the table from her.

“So,” Beatrice said, “let’s begin.”

~~~~

Beatrice didn’t know why she was so nervous: it was just another parent-teacher conference. Plus, she liked Ava.  _ Like like _ , a small part of her brain whispered. Deciding to ignore that for now, Beatrice opened Diego’s portfolio. She put on her glasses and looked over her notes.

“Diego’s doing really well academically so far,” Beatrice smiled at Ava and showed her a printout of his current test scores, “he’s very eager to learn new things,”

“Thanks to you,” Ava smiled back, “it’s a welcome surprise.”

Beatrice chuckled and continued, “I’m surprised he hasn’t done as well in previous years. He’s very curious - always asking questions about whatever we’re covering. And he seems to especially like science. But,” she paused, carefully considering her next words, “I’ve noticed he’s been more quiet lately. Has his behavior at home changed at all?”

“Yes, actually.” Ava seemed a bit surprised Beatrice had noticed Diego’s behavior. Bea wondered if Ava’s experience with other teachers had really been that bad. “D told me he was having trouble with a boy in his class. Carson? I’m ninety-nine percent sure that’s his name.”

Bea sighed. This didn’t surprise her, not in the slightest. She felt bad for Carson: his mom hadn’t even bothered to show up for their conference and when she’d called home, an angry slurred voice had yelled at her to stop trying “to sell us shit”. Beatrice had once seen an angry red bruise on his stomach when he had lifted up his shirt to wipe his face. She knew what was probably going on, but she didn’t have enough evidence to call anyone. It was only natural for Carson to lash out, she supposed, and Diego seemed like the perfect target. Diego who clearly adored his mother and it was obvious she loved him just as much.

“I see,” she finally said, running a hand through her hair. “I haven’t seen too much going on in class,” Carson was too smart for that, she reasoned, “so I assume most of this happens on the playground or before or after school?”

“Yeah,” Ava sighed. Beatrice felt bad for her. It couldn’t be easy to see your child like that. “He’s been saying mean things to D and his friend Trevor. Y’know, calling them names and stuff. And he stole my son’s pencils.”

Beatrice had never seen Ava mad before. She didn’t know whether to be scared or turned on.  _ Wait, what? _ The latter half of that sentence definitely should not have crossed her mind.  _ Nope. Totally professional. Be totally professional, Bea. _ She thought about the look on her parents’ faces the last time she had seen them and calmed down.

“I’m really sorry to hear that, Ava. I can definitely rearrange my seating chart and I’ll be much more vigilant about Carson’s behavior. Is there anything else I can do?”

Ava sighed again, “Thank you. I think that will be good for now. Do you have any idea why Carson would treat Diego this way?”

Beatrice wasn’t sure how much she should share with Ava, but she had a right to know at least some of it.

“This in no way excuses his actions,” she began, trying to gauge Ava’s reaction, “but Carson doesn’t have the best home life. His parents aren’t the most,” she struggled to find the right word, “supportive,” she finally said.

Ava nodded, but Beatrice could see in her eyes that she wasn’t completely satisfied.

“My guess is that Carson targeted Diego because he’s jealous. Diego talks about you a lot. About how awesome you are. I think Carson looks at Diego and sees the love he doesn’t receive,”

“Diego talks about me?” Ava’s face melted into a smile.

“All the time. To be honest, I’ve never met a kid who loves his mom more,” Beatrice smiled back.

“I hope it’s not annoying,” a look of mild concern crossed Ava’s face, “I know he can be quite chatty,”

“No, not at all! It’s actually kind of adorable - and a testament to your good parenting.”

Ava’s smile faltered,

“I don’t always feel like a good parent. I’m so busy at the shop that I don’t get to spend nearly as much time with him as I’d like to. It can be difficult, doing this alone.”

So Ava was a single parent. Beatrice hadn’t been sure. She’d suspected after Ava came to open house alone, but she hadn’t wanted to assume. She gained a new respect for Ava: parenting was hard enough when there were two parents. 

“You are not a bad parent, Ava Silva,” she said earnestly. “Your son sees how hard you work to provide for him, and the fact that you feel like you don’t spend enough time with him makes you better already than at least half of the parents I’ve met,”

“Thanks.” Ava didn’t seem quite convinced, but she tugged a corner of her lip up in a half-hearted smile. She looked down at her watch,

“Oh, wow. Our time’s just about up.”

Beatrice looked at her own watch and saw that it was, indeed, just about time for Ava to go. She stood up and stretched out a hand, which Ava shook graciously,

“If you have any other questions or any concerns at all, feel free to email or call,” Beatrice moved to open the door. She smiled as Ava left and turned to face the couple sitting down in the hall with renewed energy. As she ushered them inside, Bea watched Ava’s brown hair disappear around a corner. The day felt just a little brighter than when it had started.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Sorry I haven’t updated in so long! I’ve had writer’s block and school. If the conference isn’t realistic, I’m sorry. I’m not a parent, and it’s been the better part of a decade since I’ve been to one. Constructive feedback is always welcome! Stay safe everyone. :)

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Quarantine is really getting to me lol. Constructive feedback is always welcome! I do start school soon so I'm not sure how often I will be able to update, but I'm gonna try. Stay safe out there! :)


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